Limoncello Fish and Chips

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Adapted from a fabulous fish recipe  from British Chef Shaun Raking proves forever that homemade is always better. Chef Rankin uses lemonade in his batter, which may seem a bit odd at first but is actually an inspired choice as the bubbles give a beautiful lightness.
Given the seasonal products that I  can find at my  local supermarket, I am always willing to try new things. So, there was a carton of Limited Edition Limoncello Soda, sitting on the store shelf and  I decided to give it a try in this recipe, substituting for the lemonade found in Chef Rankin’s version. On it’s own, the Limoncello Soda was way too sweet for my taste, but it worked perfectly in the batter.

This dish is best served on a platter with plenty of tartar sauce for a summer get-together, or with your choice of sides for lunch.

Adapted from Chef Shaun Rankin
Great British Chefs, 2015

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Fish:
Canola oil, for deep frying
Eight 4-ounce cod fillets, skinned and cleaned
One 12-ounce bottle of Limoncello Soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

For Serving:
1 lime, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
Tartar sauce
Waffles Fries

Directions:
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
Preheat the deep fat fryer to  365°F  (180°C) . Alternatively, fill a deep saucepan with the canola  oil to halfway and, using a cooking thermometer, heat to 365°F  (180°C).
Rinse fish, pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Limoncello Soda, flour, garlic powder, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper, baking soda and baking powder to make the batter. A thin batter is formed. Set aside.

Dip each fish piece in the batter until completely covered. You should be able to see the fish through the batter after it has been dipped.

Carefully lower the fish into the deep-fat fryer or saucepan and cook for 4 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Deep-frying should not make food excessively greasy. The trick is to keep the oil hot enough and not leave the food in it for too long.Remove the fish  from the fryer using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels. Lightly season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with the lime  and lemon wedges and some dollops of tartar sauce and seasoned waffle fries.

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Red Velvet Cookies

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Make 3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup extra fine granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
3 Tablespoons Hershey’s chocolate syrup
3/4 cup plain yogurt
2 cups all-purpose flour (See Cook’s Note)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375°F.

Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. With the paddle attachment on, beat on low speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg, stir to combine. With a spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl.Add the food coloring, chocolate syrup and yogurt. Beat until blended. Scrape the sides of bowl if needed.

Gently stir in the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Stir the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.

With a medium ice-cream scoop, drop cookie dough onto the prepared sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake, one cookie sheet at a time, in preheated oven for 8-9 minutes or until the cookies slightly spring back when touched.

Cool on baking sheets for few minutes before moving to cooling racks. Let cool completely before serving.

Cook’s Note:
Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Green Pasta Dough

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Pasta Verde…..Beautifully-green, fresh spinach pasta. Making your own pasta is not difficult to make, nor does it take much time. This basic recipe can used for all types of  home pasta and can be used in countless dishes.

Ingredients:
For the Spinach:
3 quarts water
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 cup packed, fresh spinach leaves

For the Pasta:
2 1/2 cups flour
3 Eggs
A pinch Salt
A pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Bench Flour, for dusting

Directions:
To prepare the spinach, remove the tough stems from the fresh spinach leaves, so they will not tear the pasta during rolling. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil and set up an ice bath next to the stove.

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Photo Credit: Ruchi’s Kitchen, 2015

 

 

Blanch the spinach leaves in the boiling water for 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon or and immediately plunge into the ice bath to cool.Once cool, using a strainer, squeeze out the excess water. Then place the spinach onto a kitchen towel and twist it to remove as much moisture as possible.

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Photo Credit: Ruchi’s Kitchen, 2015

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Place the flour, eggs, spinach, salt, and nutmeg in the bowl of the processor and pulse 15 times for 6 seconds at a time. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky.

Photo Credit: Birdworms and Buttermilk, 2010

Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour the countertop and continue kneading for about 10 minutes. Dust with a bit of flour, each time the dough sticks to your hands or the counter. Scrape the counter from time to time, just to make sure any dried bits aren’t being incorporated into the dough.

After kneading for about ten minutes, the dough should be smooth and soft and just a touch tacky, but it should no longer be sticking to your hands or the countertop.

Once ready, wrap it in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling it out.The wrapped dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day.

This dough can now be rolled into any pasta shape, whether it be lasagna noodles, pappardelle, fettuccine, or ravioli. The variations are endless.